GOP blocks Murray on sales tax deduction

The U.S. Senate was embroiled in partisan rancor Wednesday, almost to the moment when the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body recessed until after the November 2 mid-term election.

Republicans blocked a bid by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. – a GOP target in November – to extend a sales tax exemption to the benefit of her state.

The exemption would allow families to deduct what they spend on sales taxes from their federal income tax – as the U.S. Tax Code allows residents to do in states that have their own state income taxes.

Murray proposed a one-year extension of the sales tax deduction, borrowing language from a bill that Senate Republicans offered earlier this week.

Murray, who has long worked with Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee, was angry.

“I reached across the aisle to bring forward a compromise bill that would help families in Washington state, – and that Senate Republicans agreed to just two nights ago – but they stood up and said no,” she said.

“I was willing to do whatever it took tonight to get this sales tax deduction extended for Washington state families, but Senate Republicans refused to put politics aside and give an inch.”

In turn, late Wednesday, Washington State Republicans labeled Murray a spendthrift for not supporting a Thune-sponsored amendment when the Senate passed a temporary spending measure (called a Continuing Resolution) to keep the federal government operating.

Rancor on the Senate floor even extended to seemingly bipartisan, non-controversial legislation.